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highplainsdem

(63,799 posts) Wed Jun 10, 2026, 04:25 PM Jun 10

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Nobody needs AI to search the Internet, court says in ruling against Google [View all]

Source: Ars Technica

Nobody needs AI to search the Internet, court says in ruling against Google
Google AI Overview court loss in Germany could spell doom for AI search industry.

Ashley Belanger – Jun 10, 2026 12:19 PM

-snip-

Google tried the usual arguments to shield itself from liability for false statements in AI Overviews, such as arguing that most users understand that AI outputs aren't always accurate and must be verified.

But the court found that, unlike traditional search engines that merely present lists of links to third-party statements, Google's tool made "independent, new, and substantive statements" based on its own misinterpretation of links on the Internet.

That's a problem, the court said, because while publishers may have been able to sue to stop third parties from publishing defamatory statements appearing in Google search results, only Google can correct the underlying algorithm and outputs displayed in AI Overviews. And because, at least initially, the company did not, it therefore "must be held accountable," the court ruled. Beyond that, Google's argument was deemed particularly weak, since the AI overview in this case "contains statements that do not appear in the search results at all."

The court's order--requiring a temporary injunction barring Google from spreading the false claims in any further AI Overviews--may have global implications, as the court seems to be the first to hold an AI firm liable for AI speech.

-snip-

Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/nobody-needs-ai-to-search-the-internet-court-says-in-ruling-against-google/

About time. More at the link. Note: this ruling was from a court in Germany.

The judge is absolutely correct that no one needs AI search summaries, and Google should be held liable for them.

The AI companies should never have been treated as if it was OK for their flawed genAI tools to provide wrong answers.

80 replies

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Nobody needs AI to search the Internet, court says in ruling against Google [View all] highplainsdem Jun 10 OP

Wow, this is a great ruling. I hope it holds! SunSeeker Jun 10 #1

Outside of the issue of defamatory statements... reACTIONary Jun 10 #2

You can find them useful. Doesn't change the fact that AI isn't necessary for the task, which these companies are all Karasu Jun 10 #4

Nobody is forcing users to use AI.... reACTIONary Jun 10 #13

Um..yes, they are. "Scrolling down" doesn't change that. Companies forcing the use of AI goes MUCH farther than simple Karasu Jun 10 #17

Unless you check everything in the AI overview - every alleged fact, every quote, every source - you highplainsdem Jun 10 #5

It's not really that hard to check it out.... reACTIONary Jun 10 #12

LOL! In other words, you don't check. And it sounds as if you'd use AI overviews you hadn't bothered highplainsdem Jun 10 #31

If you look at a page from a "regular" web page search, do you.... reACTIONary Jun 10 #34

I've seen news stories including studies about the links in AI overviews often not actually leading highplainsdem Jun 10 #36

I'm focused on the value AI brings to .... reACTIONary Jun 10 #50

AI search on the internet is a parasite killing its host. There's no value in that. The errors make its highplainsdem Jun 10 #51

Well then, if that's the case, eventually..... reACTIONary Jun 10 #52

Of all the silly comparisons. Calculators would never have been widely used if they were as error-prone highplainsdem Jun 10 #57

I sometimes post AI search results here, and.... reACTIONary Jun 11 #58

The whopper is everything you've said suggesting people should trust AI results. Even AI companies highplainsdem Jun 11 #61

Not any less trustful than "the internet" itself..... reACTIONary Jun 11 #67

Again, you're trusting AI summaries known to make mistakes. You're also choosing to use AI tools highplainsdem Jun 11 #69

Again, I've never accessed anything on the internet... reACTIONary Jun 11 #73

This message was self-deleted by its author Betty Boom Jun 11 #68

Thanks for your comments Betty Boom Jun 11 #71

You are welcome! Here on DU, even those who are a bit... reACTIONary Jun 11 #74

Unfortunately, I had quite an unpleasant experience to the contrary recently Betty Boom Jun 11 #75

The problem with AI overviews is that they're not reliable. ShazzieB Jun 10 #14

I think they are more reliable than some make them out to be.... reACTIONary Jun 10 #16

There are still whoppers aplenty. cab67 Jun 10 #38

Plain search used to do that Cirsium Jun 10 #18

Your experience with "plain search" and with... reACTIONary Jun 10 #19

it isn't a matter of opinion Cirsium Jun 10 #20

It seems to be a subjective judgement to me.... reACTIONary Jun 10 #23

OK Cirsium Jun 10 #30

Wow! Thanks.... reACTIONary Jun 10 #32

Thank you Cirsium Jun 11 #60

I sometimes find them amusing. cab67 Jun 10 #37

And you just admitted you have to wade through irrelevant junk... paleotn Jun 10 #42

Then one has to verify that it's not inaccurate slop GenThePerservering Jun 10 #46

How can you be sure what the agenda of the AI programmer is? Like an algorithm, it can steer us in the direction Martin68 Jun 11 #78

You make a very good point... reACTIONary Jun 11 #79

I, too, usually conduct searches about scientific and other "basic facts," and have found some of the AI summaries Martin68 Jun 11 #80

We were able to do it just fine (in fact, better) BEFORE this immensely destructive shit came along. Karasu Jun 10 #3

Yes. Search was much better before. highplainsdem Jun 10 #6

The quality of their searches declined significantly. hunter Jun 10 #27

AI "search" Be Leave On Jun 10 #7

Profitable, because we are a post-literate society. SouthBayDem Jun 10 #56

Fuck Google! caballojm Jun 10 #8

DuckDuckGo has an AI, but they actually allow you to completely turn it off, and they have a version of their site that Karasu Jun 10 #10

Same here. paleotn Jun 10 #43

Everyone getting those commercials claiming we need a million data centers Bengus81 Jun 10 #9

Here's what's wrong with the massive data centers ... FakeNoose Jun 11 #65

Their wanting to put one up around Garden City,Ks and it's projected water use Bengus81 Jun 11 #66

Yes many of these data centers are going up in rural areas, and lack of zoning laws is a big reason FakeNoose Jun 11 #76

Kick dalton99a Jun 10 #11

I want to know how Progressive dog Jun 10 #15

I have not seen contradictions, but I think vanlassie Jun 10 #22

I have seen something worse than a contradiction. pnwmom Jun 10 #24

Yea that's bad. I would never accept personal info vanlassie Jun 10 #28

You could find it just as easily with a 'precisely composed query' GenThePerservering Jun 10 #47

I've been a heavy user of the internet for many years. vanlassie Jun 11 #62

Even more reprehensible... GiqueCee Jun 10 #21

Yes. People need to realize that every single writer, visual artist, photographer, singer, musician, highplainsdem Jun 10 #44

Nailed it! GiqueCee Jun 10 #45

It's human nature to expect the biggest reward for the lowest cost. SouthBayDem Jun 10 #53

So the AI bros ripping off the world's intellectual property is just human nature? highplainsdem Jun 11 #59

Republicans will pass a law making it illegal to restrict AI search Bobstandard Jun 10 #25

'Almost Intelligence' trains from anything it can find (within reason, supposedly) 3825-87867 Jun 10 #26

"Imitation Intelligence" is a good name. hunter Jun 10 #29

It's pretty easy to tell if Republicans are lying!--- Jack Valentino Jun 10 #33

I call it a fancy shorthand for Anti-Intellectualism. SouthBayDem Jun 10 #54

I wish this was here. Figarosmom Jun 10 #35

I probably don't ask complicated questions, but I find the Google AI helpful Bluetus Jun 10 #40

I've asked about current news events Figarosmom Jun 10 #41

That's an astute judge. But it goes beyond that. Bluetus Jun 10 #39

This is something a lot of people don't understand GenThePerservering Jun 10 #49

I heard a good explanation the other day Bluetus Jun 11 #72

very insightful. that's why hallucinations will never go away altogether. nt scipan Jun 10 #55

People still use Google? It's a spy agency that sells your data. I stopped ages ago. usonian Jun 10 #48

Type -ai at the end of your search and you'll find out how little you need AI Bengus81 Jun 11 #63

AI regurgitates a lot of garbage and presents itself as fact. Historic NY Jun 11 #64

AI Chatbots reviewed by Behind the Bastards ihaveaquestion Jun 11 #70

Google is using AI in the same way that using an algorithm produces search results that benefit advertisers. Martin68 Jun 11 #77